Defense Logistics Agency Recognizes AM General

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – AM General, creator and manufacturer of Humvees for U.S. military forces, has received the Defense Logistics Agency’s Outstanding Readiness Support Award in the large business category for outstanding support to on-going U.S. military operations. The annual award recognizes “extraordinary customer support, service and product provided directly in response to a crisis situation,” according to DLA.

AM General Vice President of Government Operations Gary Tull accepted the award in a ceremony at DLA headquarters at Fort Belvoir, Va., south of Washington. The award recognized AM General’s complicated efforts to provide spare parts for the many model and mission variations of the High-Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) operating in Iraq, Afghanistan and other deployed locations.

A related DLA news release explained, “This performance has been especially important because of the instrumental role the HMMWV is playing in the Global War on Terrorism and other U.S. military missions overseas. The partnership between DLA and AM General has reduced administrative and production lead times, lowered costs, and enabled the partners to develop and test processes and to track performance – all with the goal of providing world-class readiness support to the war-fighter.”

In addition to spare parts support, AM General has ensured that continuous design improvements approved by the military to increase the performance, payload and crew protection are rapidly integrated into Humvees used by U.S. operating forces overseas. These upgrades include mission-flexible armor protection, improved engine cooling, reinforced suspension to handle increased loads and many others. AM General field service employees working in combat theaters ensure that soldiers, Marines, sailors and airmen have the parts, equipment, guidance and support needed to make such modifications.

“Our entire company is focused on providing this hands-on global support to our military forces,” noted Tull. “From our engineering R&D center in Michigan and our manufacturing plants and parts warehouses to our field representatives overseas, every one of our 2800 employees knows the importance and takes personal pride in supporting our troops 24 x 7.”

DLA’s annual Business Alliance Awards recognize those who have demonstrated outstanding efforts to partner with DLA and improve the agency’s mission of providing supplies and services to America’s military forces. DLA Vice Director Maj. Gen. Arthur B. Morrill III, U.S. Air Force, presented the awards to AM General for the large business category and 22 other companies in other categories.

The Defense Logistics Agency’s primary role involves managing more than five million consumable items, such as rations, medical supplies and equipment, clothing and textiles, and repair parts for land, sea and air weapons systems and platforms.